Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Nothing so common as a cupcake, mind you, but an accurate-to-scale mini version of a bigger cake. Something about being in possession of such a diminutive gateau seems to confirm what you, hopefully, already knew about yourself. If that dinky cake could speak it would surely remark, "Hey, you must be extraordinary because you merit your very own tiny cake. You are worthy."

It's a positive development that we Americans, somewhere along the way, reached a stage of gustatory evolution wherein we began to appreciate carefully constructed and painstakingly detailed individual dessert items, versus huge layer cakes predictably blanketed in sugary American buttercream. Cakes that are designed to serve a dozen or more people are good, oh sure, and they have their place. But let's face it, they exist to feed the masses. They don't care who you are, particularly.

The mission of a super-sized cake doesn't involve catering to the different tastes of each person in a crowd. On the contrary, everyone gets the same thing. A huge cake lives to serve by being sliced up equally. Take it or leave it. One size fits all. You don't like frosting? Gosh, that's tough. Scrape it off with a plastic fork and don't forget to dump your soggy paper plate in the trash on your way out. Not a pretty scenario.

So when the craving for a sweet possesses you, don't you find it reassuring to have the option of selecting one single-serving dessert--modestly portioned, artfully prepared, and seemingly unique? Of course you do. After all, sometimes all you want is one little thing.

It's all about choice . . .

Which brings me to today's lemon yogurt mini-bundt cakes. Neither complex nor time consuming to make, these baby bundts are delightfully presentable. Ultra moist and very tender, this cake falls on the texture spectrum somewhere between a butter cake and a soft pound cake. You can make these as 12 mini-bundts, or 24 cupcakes. (If you're brave, you can try it as one large bundt, too, but doing that apparently makes this recipe less predictable and more prone to producing a dense/fallen cake, just fyi). You can choose to make the tangy-sweet, limoncello glaze thin enough so that most of it demurely soaks in (as I did), or mix it thicker and slather it on as a flashy embellishment. You're the driver.

See? It's all about choice. I love having choices. I know you do, too.

What did I alter? Well, instead of using buttermilk in the cake (the book's recipe is called "Lemon Buttermilk Cake") I substituted Greek style plain yogurt, along with a few tablespoons of milk to smooth it out.

And, there's no limoncello in the CIA formula, but I suspected that it would tag along perfectly with the existing flavors, so I added a smidgen into the cake batter in place of some of the lemon juice, and also used it with lemon juice in the glaze. (A popular Italian liqueur, it's such tasty stuff. If you've never tried it, you might want to get some, but if you prefer not to use it you can always omit it from the recipe entirely and go with all lemon juice. The cakes will still be luscious.) I also reworded, and slightly revised, the instructions.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In another small bowl, stir together the yogurt and the milk just until smooth.

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar, and lemon zest for about 5 minutes, until smooth and light. Stop to scrape the bowl periodically.Add in the eggs one a time, still at medium speed, scraping down the bowl between each addition. Mix well after each egg.On low speed, add in the flour mixture alternately with the yogurt in three additions. Mix just until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium and mix for 2 minutes more, until the entire mixture is smooth and light.Add in 3 Tbsp. of the lemon juice and 1 Tbsp. of the limoncello. Blend just until evenly mixed, no more than 30 seconds.Portion the batter evenly into your pan(s); smooth the top of the batter.Bake until the center of each cake springs back when pressed lightly with a finger, and a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean. This will be about 15 minutes for mini-bundts or cupcakes (if making minis or cupcakes, don't wait for the exposed part of the cake to look golden brown; golden around the edges is enough).If you've made the cake in mini-bundt pans, let them cool for about 10 minutes before inverting the pans onto a cooling racks to remove the cakes. If you've baked cupcakes, give them no more than about five minutes in their pans before carefully removing to a cooling rack.To make the glaze, mix the confectioners' sugar, 2 Tbsp. of lemon juice and 3 Tbsp. of limoncello in a small bowl and stir until any lumps are completely gone. If you'd like the glaze thicker, just stir in a bit more confectioners' sugar until it's the texture you prefer.To apply the glaze, place the cooled cake(s) on a cooling rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Using a spoon, drizzle the glaze liberally over each cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. Let the icing set for about 15 minutes before moving the cakes.If you like, serve each cake topped with a little unsweetened whipped cream and some lemon zest curls. Yummy.

Update from Jane, January 2013:

Dear readers, I have heard from dozens of bakers who've tried this recipe since I first posted it almost three years ago. About half of them love it and got great results, and about half had cakes that were extremely dense and disappointing. Based on reader feedback, it also seems like this recipe is more predictably successful when made in mini-bundt pans, versus one large bundt pan. So, that's something to consider before giving it a whirl.In light of the inconsistent results, if you still want to try it in one large bundt pan, I am recommending (especially if you don't bake bundts regularly) that you visit this link before you start the recipe: How to Bake the Perfect Bundt Cake (http://www.nordicware.com/files/bake-perfect-bundt.pdf)It contains helpful hints on baking with bundt pans and may help you to achieve success with this formula as one large cake. Nordicware is the original creator of the bundt, and they are the true experts. I trust their advice. Thanks very much for visiting and for providing me with honest feedback. It's always appreciated.Keep on baking!Jane

(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, just click on the purple COMMENTS below!)

40 comments:

I want my own cake, Jane! I also want that pan you used. I really need to update my baking supplies, as they are pretty pitiful. This cake sounds and looks so wonderful by the way. Yogurt cakes are so moist and delicious. Oh, and I just got a glimpse of that cherry cream cheese bread out on the sidebar-gotta take a look at that...

Well, yes, and you deserve your own little cake, too! You know, that mini-bundt pan is easily acquirable, 'case you were wondering. I got a couple of them at Michael's (the craft store; I used their 40 percent off coupons). They're the Wilton brand. I like them even better than a fancier, heavier, far more expensive Nordicware mini-bundt pan I also have. They are flimsier, for sure, but they actually seem to work better and they release the cakes with no problem at all. That cherry cream cheese bread you saw was really, really good. Beware, it may cast a wickedly good spell on you!

These look lovely. Lemon cakes are my favourite (well one of them!) And there's nothing better than your OWN cake and ones these pretty must be yummy. I need to get myself a mini bundt pan as these are too cute not to make. I love the addition of the cream and zest at the end.

I'm totally making these for Mother's Day! They would be the perfect "special" thing. Garnished with some edible flowers on the side might even make them look prettier. And I loved your explanation of how having your own cake makes you feel!

I love lemon-flavored baked goods and these look delicious! Did I mention they look super-adorable too? Thanks for the tip on the Wilton brand mini-bundt cake pan. Will have to check out my Michaels store. I recently bought the "silicone mini-brownie bites" pan from there. I have yet to try it out.

Hi CherylK,Every girl needs a mini-bundt pan in her arsenal. It's just one of those things! Thanks for the nice comments,:) Jane

Hello Marcellina,You are sweet to say so!Warmly,Jane

Dear Tish-- Chocolate is my number one also! Citrus is right up there, though, so I know what you mean. Many thanks for visiting here again. I see delectable wonders on your beautiful blog every time I stop by there--it's a favorite!:) Jane

Hi Cyndy,I'm glad you like details! I can't help myself from including them. I hate it when I read a recipe and end up with about 15 unanswered questions. I think that must be why I add the details in! Hey, lemon head, I appreciate your visit and your comment!Warnmly,Jane

Hi Hanaa,I haven't tried any silicone bakeware yet at all. You'll have to let me know what you think of it. Every time I'm in a store and run across that stuff, though, I pick it up and flop it around incredulously. I know you'll give me the straight dope, though, once you've formed an opinion! :) Jane

Hello Louse! Always so nice to read your comments. About the homemade limoncello, I did see a few recipes for it while I was researching what I wanted to do with these little lemon cakes. Sounds like it might be worth making sometime. I've never tried to make any sort of flavored liqueur at home, but in my 20's I had a roommate who used to make homemade Kahlua now and then. As I recall it tasted quite a bit like the real stuff!:) Jane

Dear Julia,I have had very good luck with the recipes in that CIA book, thus far. I recently heard, though, that the CIA baking & pastry arts textbook (a big heavy thing that bears no resemblance to the book for home bakers that I used for this post) may contain some errors within recipes. My current baking teacher (who is a CIA alumnus) was, in fact, just talking about this sort of problem with a few students in my class last week. That giant CIA textbook is not the book that we use for our class (we use Wayne Gisslen's "Professional Baking"), though, so I can't say I've ever personally had a problem with it. Seems, in any case, like one has to approach all baking cookbooks with caution these days. I see glaring typos in published cookbooks so frequently lately; it's a little disheartening to think of what else might be lurking in them that's potentially so much worse! Thanks so much for commenting, Julia!:) Jane

Hi,What type of Greek yogurt did you use - full fat, low fat, fat free?I always eat fat free yogurt and skim milk since I will get a stomach ache if I eat full fat or low fat.But wondering if it would be all right for the cake...Thanks!Katherine

Thank you for sharing this very nice recipe. I made my cake last night but with orange juice and orange zest and I used a large bundt pan. Taste really delicious BUT it came out solid, it is not sponge, it is like cutting a block of cheese. Apart from the orange twist I used electric mixer (not have paddle attachment). Do you have any idea what did I do wrong? Thank you for any help.Monica

Hi Debcom,My mini-bundt pans were Wilton brand, and if I remember correctly I did buy them at Michael's. I am not familiar with a brand called Celebration.Thanks for visiting!Jane :)

Dear Anonymous, I'm so sorry to hear that about your cake! You mentioned that you did not use a paddle attachment, though you did use your mixer, yes? I am assuming, then, that you must have used the whip attachment? If you used the whip attachment, I wouldn't be surprised if the batter was over-mixed, thus causing a tough heavy cake when baked. This can happen because over-mixing the batter once you've added in the flour will allow over-development of the gluten, and that is not what you want to happen in a cake. This particular batter is similar to a pound cake batter, and you will notice in recipes that one is often warned about the danger of over-mixing when making almost any type of pound cake. Over-mixing also causes a lot of air to be incorporated into the batter, which can cause a cake like this to "fall" once it's in the oven. In my experience, baking pound-type cakes in bundt pans can be fraught with mishaps in general. I have had some very unhappy bundt cake experiences of my own over the years. Some tricks I use to help ensure success with a bundt pan: I try to absolutely avoid opening the oven while the cake is baking (I think this is critical); and I run a knife through the middle of the batter before putting the cake in the oven to help pop any air bubbles; and, I also tap the filled pan firmly on a hard surface before putting the cake in the oven, again to help expel air bubbles that can cause a pound cake to fall when it's baking. I know all of that sounds like a lot of bother, but taking those steps has helped me to have success with bundt pans. In any event, I am really sorry your cake didn't have a nice texture and the recipe was a disappointment for you. I sincerely appreciate that you let me know about our experience.Thanks again and please keep on baking!Warmly,Jane

I have had repeated success with this recipe from mini bundts to full bundts to madelines...yes there was just enough batter left over to fill a madeline pan. As the crumb is dense enough to take some manipulation it is debuting as Nessy, of Loch Ness, for my son's 1st birthday next week. 2 x 10 inch bundt cakes cut in half for her to undulate out of the water (half sheet lemon cake covered in blue). Wish me luck as I am in way over my head. Love the blog. Post birthday celebrations I am on the hunt for rose petals and mint milano cookies - they are up next.

Hi! I made these, just got a mini bunt pan & was looking for recipes. The balance of flavors was really nice I will definitely make the recipe again, thank you for sharing.

The consistency of my finished cake was a little bit spongy. I mixed everything by hand as I don't have an electric mixer. Do you think that was my problem? Any suggestions (beyond getting an electric mixer)!?

By unsweetened whipped cream, I meant that I used heavy cream (aka "whipping cream") and when I whipped it up myself, I did not add in any sugar or powdered sugar. The cake itself, along with its glaze, already provides sufficient sweetness, I thought. Good luck with your cakes and have lots of fun at the shower! Thanks so much for visiting and letting me know you're trying this recipe. I'd love to hear how it turns out for you!Warmly,Jane :)

I've been looking for a real tender butter cake to make a layer cake put some filling and frosting like a birthday cake. My question is, can this recipe be made into two round cake pans, if so what size would you suggest. I hope my search ends here for that tender cake my mom used to make when she was still with us. Thank you.

Hi Elajr,I honestly don't know if this cake would work well baked in regular layer cake pans instead of bundt pans, so I'd like to suggest a different recipe for you. Here's a link to a nice vanilla layer cake recipe that I've had really good luck with. It's got a real nice texture and it's perfect for a filled and frosted birthday cake. (I did a blog post on this cake in March of 2011.) http://janessweets.blogspot.com/2011/03/classic-vanilla-layer-cake-with-mocha.htmlThanks very much for visiting!Warmly,Jane :)

This cake looked and sounded amazing. I followed the recipe to the T and it turned out dense and heavy like a block of cheese. I am wondering if the 1/2 tsp of baking soda is enough or if there should be some baking powder as well? We each had a slice and threw out the rest. Very disappointed and want to figure out how to make it correctly.

Dear Victoria,I am so sorry to hear that. Did you make yours in mini bundt pans, or in one large bundt pan? I am not sure what went wrong for you, but these are among the questions I would ask: Was your baking soda fresh? Could the batter have been over-beaten? Was the oven door opened prematurely while the cake was baking, causing the cake to "fall" (a significant factor with bundts, and sometimes they even fall upon coming out of the oven)? Some readers have indicated to me that they've had great success with this recipe while others have had difficulties and ended up with dense cake. Though I have not experienced trouble with this recipe myself, I have certainly had trouble with various other bundt cakes now and then in the past. Bundts of many types seem to be inherently fussy and prone to collapse. Again, I am very sorry you had such a bad experience with this recipe. I don't know if you're a veteran baker or someone who bakes rarely, but here's a link related to baking bundt pans that I have found helpful myself.http://www.nordicware.com/files/bake-perfect-bundt.pdf

I know this update is a bit late, but the mini bundts I made for the shower at work were delicious. Everyone loved them, and I had people begging for the recipe. However, I just made the recipe using a full size bundt pan, and it ended up burnt and didn't really rise. I only baked it at 350 for 50 minutes. I ended up throwing it in the trash. Perhaps it's just not meant to be used in a full-sized pan???

Hi Shelby,Thanks for that feedback! I decided to tweak the recipe to discourage readers from baking it as one large bundt. It seems that that is where the problems always tend to occur, based on reader comments. I really appreciate that you let me know what your own experience was like with mini-bundts vs. one large bundt. Hopefully, going forward, anyone else who tries the recipe will now be completely forewarned if they decide to bake it in one big pan.Keep on baking!Warmly,Jane :)

Recipe Index . . .

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Welcome!

Jane's Sweets & Baking Journalwas born of my ever increasing desire to learn more about the baking and pastry arts, and of my love for anything and everything related to baking. Just as food is meant to be shared, so is knowledge among bakers and among those who enjoy delicious foods prepared from scratch. So, please partake, and feel free to share your thoughts and comments. I'd love to hear from you.

If you'd like to know a bit about me please click here, or look for the tiny photo of a pink cupcake topped by a strawberry, further down, in the "About me"section. You can also reach me by email at janessweets@gmail.com . . .

Warmly,Jane

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JANE'S FAVORITE BAKING BOOKS

About Professional Baking: The Essentials, by Gail Sokol. This is a textbook, but not one that's intimidating. It contains lots of useful info, including interesting personal profiles of professional chefs.

All-American Cookie Book, by Nancy Baggett. Another winner of the IACP award. Loads of good looking cookie recipes with lots of very appetizing photos. (Don't you love cookbooks with tons of pictures? I do.)

All-American Dessert Book, by Nancy Baggett. Wonderfully detailed, with very reliable recipes, Baggett does it again in this valuable cookbook. Definitely worth your time!

Art & Soul of Baking, by Cindy Mushet. This large Gourmet Cook Book Club Selection is a feast for the eyes. I love the page layout, the photos, and the author's reassuring tone. Recipes range from the quotidian ("classic sugar cookies") to the ridiculous ("Moroccan-spiced sweet-potato tiropetes") to the absolute sublime ("duo-tone chocolate pots de creme"). Worth acquiring.

Baking and Pastry: Mastering the Art and Craft, by the Culinary Institute of America. This is a heavy duty textbook, not for the faint of heart. Intimidating, sure, but also kind of fascinating if you're an obsessive bake-a-holic like me.

Baking with Julia, written by Dorie Greenspan and based on the PBS series hosted by Julia Child. Yet another hefty and dazzling coffee-table-worthy cookbook. Wonderful to have around. (My copy was autographed by Julia herself!)

Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook, published in 1950 and available in a facsimile edition, holds a special place in my heart. This is the book my mom primarily used, or so it seemed, when I was a kid. The photos are such period pieces, and the little notations that accompany recipes are pricelessly cute and corny. I have an ancient copy that I still use. Every girl needs a copy of this in her house, for good karma if nothing else.

Bitter Sweet -- Recipes and Tales From a Life in Chocolate, by Alice Medrich. Much more than just a cookbook with a focus on fine dark chocolate, this is also a memoir of sorts from a legendary chocolate-dessert creator. Medrich is often credited with awakening American tastes to the finest aspects of superior chocolate. Very interesting read!

Bread: A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes,by Jeffrey Hamelman. An indispensable book for anyone who is seriously interested in learning to make fine yeast breads, Hamelman shares far more than just technical knowledge. Like fellow bread guru Peter Reinhart, his warmth of spirit and deep love for the tradition of bread baking shines through on every page.

Breakfast Book, by Marion Cunningham. Not to be confused with the character of the mom on Happy Days, the real Marion Cunningham has a long list of writing accomplishments, the most well known being that she completely revised The Fannie Farmer Cookbook. A contemporary of the late James Beard's, she is still held in high esteem.

Cake Bible, by Rose Levy Beranbaum. Rose is really into the science of baking, which can be helpful in some respects and off-putting in others. Like gardeners who talk mostly about soil components without conveying their joy in the plants themselves. Maybe I'm too sensitive? Probably so, as many consider this to be an invaluable classic. Despite my reservations, I wouldn't part with my copy. One of several highly detailed books by Rose. Her latest book, Heavenly Cakes, is much more down to earth, loaded with photos, and truly beautiful.

Cake Book, by Tish Boyle. I've called it a treasure trove before and please allow me to say it again here. This book is jam packed with wonderful stuff that's well explained. I used the Sacher-torte recipe in the fall of '09 for a culinary school project and it didn't let me down. I can endorse this book without reservation. I love it.

Complete Book of Pastry Sweet & Savory, by Bernard Clayton, Jr. When this book appeared in 1981, famed food editor Craig Claiborne praised it in the NYT as "one of the most important cookbooks of this year, if not of this decade." No photos, but don't let that dissuade you.

Craft of Baking, by Karen DeMasco & Mindy Fox. In 2009, some great new cookbooks were published and this was one of them. Down to earth, straightforward without being condescending, this smart guide offers creative and simple twists on dozens of diverse and well-proven "cakes, cookies, and other sweets."

Dessert University, by Roland Mesnier. As the White House executive pastry chef for over two decades, Mesnier has a lot of wisdom to impart. He does so well in this book, which is designed specifically for home bakers. A good book!

Grand Central Baking Book, by Piper Davis and Ellen Jackson. Readers are welcomed into these pages with a tone of warmth and familiarity. The photos alone will have you scribbling a grocery list. Try the berry kuchen recipe--simple and scrumptious.

Hershey's Chocolate Treasury, published in 1984 by Hershey Foods and chock full of old reliables. The recipe for Black Magic cake is one I've used again and again--invaluable!

How to Bake, by Nick Malgieri. The writing style is matter of fact and fairly informal. That's one of my favorite things about Malgieri's books.

Magical Art of Cake Decorating, by Carole Collier. Sometimes at a used book sale you find an old gem like this. Published in '84, I found it very encouraging when I first began decorating cakes. The recipes are rock solid reliable.

Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts, by Maida Heatter. Famed baker (apparently her "Palm Beach Brownies" are known far and wide), whose work has centered on wondrous chocolate desserts, Heatter received a James Beard award for this book, one of many she's published over several active decades.

Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook, by Martha Stewart. Beautiful photos, but I must admit I've come to have reservations about the reliability of some of the recipes. Is it just me? Though I love flipping through the book for ideas, I'm a bit on the fence with this one when it comes to actual usage.

Martha Stewart's Wedding Cakes by Martha Stewart. Talk about a stunning and inspiring book! Chances are you may never decide to actually make one of the cakes from this glorious volume, but it's enough just to page through the gorgeous pictures and interesting recipes. Expensive? For sure, but worth it.

Passion for Baking, A by Marcy Goldman. If you're curious about how professional bakers manage to make things come out nicely every time, you'll appreciate this book. Goldman, in her highly approachable style, divulges many of their simple--but enormously helpful--tricks and techniques, and shows readers how to implement them throughout the wondrous array of down-to-earth recipes that pack this great book. Loads of enticing photos, too! I love this book!

Perfect Cakes, by Nick Malgieri. Can't say enough about Malgieri's books. Absolutely worth using, versus just reading! The white and dark chocolate cheesecake is to die for; I've made it a few times, along with many other recipes from this book, and it is superb.

Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Everyday, by Peter Reinhart. This book is a revelation for anyone who approaches yeast recipes like a vampire approaches the dawn. Talk about down to earth, encouraging, and flexible! This guy knows how to talk to rookie breadmakers. Well worth reading, and using, this volume will find a comfy place in your cookbook collection--a worthwhile purchase, undoubtedly!

Professional Cake Decorating, by Toba Garrett. I get the impression that this book is perceived as the most thorough and comprehensive text available for serious students of cake decorating. This is the text that we used for my culinary school Beginning Cake Decorarting class (which means I finally own my own copy!).

Sarabeth's Bakery: From My Hands to Yours, by Sarabeth Levine. Almost too pretty to use, but use it anyway! This big book is so appealing, and the photos so remarkably enticing, you'll want to pick it up like a sandwich and bite right into it. Fine recipes for updated classics, well explained, from the famous Manhattan bakery. Worth buying. (You'll love it!)

Secrets of Baking, by Sherry Yard. A must have, bakers! This cookbook's forte is the way it's organized; master recipes are presented with full explanations of how they can be used, and related recipes follow, section by section. An exceptional manual to refer to. Get your own copy!

Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes, by Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne. Huntsman is the professional pastry chef behind this beautiful book, filled with many tempting recipes, all designed specifically and scaled perfectly for three layers. I've made the Devil's food cake thus far, and it was exceptional--it rose well, was very moist, and had great depth of flavor. I'll be using this book more in the future, without a doubt. Love the photos also!

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. . . to never endorse a product of any kind on Jane's Sweets & Baking Journal that I do not believe in. I've never done so thus far, and I vow never to do so. If I tell you I think something is great, or that I think it is worth spending real money on, then I mean it, rest assured. I promise. And, if I ever talk about a product that I've been given to review or try out, I will disclose that in the post.

Very Sincerely,Jane

About Me

I'm a mom with two great sons (both now in college), and a really nice husband. I left a long editorial career in reference publishing a few years ago and I've had nary a regret. I recently finished (after four part-time years!) a Baking & Pastry Arts Certificate program in the Culinary Studies Institute at a local community college. It was a lot of fun, a lot of work, and I am so glad I did it. These days, I do a lot of freelance editorial work, something that I really enjoy.
"Jane's Sweets" was the name of a very small baking enterprise that I started in late 2007. It bloomed a bit, for a little while, with encouragement from my husband, my aunt, and my first cake decorating teacher, Cindy. Because my Aunt Lydia was my most ardent female supporter in this baking endeavor (she was a lifelong independent business owner herself), this blog is dedicated to her memory. If heaven is real, then I know she's there with my mom, baking up a storm. Like Lydia said one day, just before her 80th birthday, while she and my mom and I were baking in my mom's kitchen, "It's been a fun ride. I'd do it all over again!"

Love me, love my mixer . . .

If my house were on fire, I'd grab my family, then I'd grab my KitchenAid mixer.

Copyright 2009-2015, on original content and photos, Jane's Sweets & Baking Journal. Please contact me at janessweets@gmail.com for permission if you'd like to reuse any of my photos or my content. Please consider informing me if you link to my blog--I'd love to know. --Thanks for visiting!